Mix of art and history at Batavia Public Library

Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave., is offering three fine arts lectures in conjunction with the 11th annual Art in Your Eye fine art festival, which is set for Aug. 14-16. They invite you to join them at these free programs at the library. Registration is required; call the reference desk at (630) 879-1393, ext. 200 or register at online at www.BataviaPublicLibrary.org.

• You are inundated with images, but how well do you really see them? In the "Art In Your Mind" lecture, artist Ezra Siegel discusses how you can improve your visual literacy at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5. He has been awarded numerous Best in Show and first prizes in painting, and has earned recognition by numerous juries, such as the Illinois Arts Council and Art Loop Open. He is the curator of the 2015 Art in Your Eye poster.

• Mark Pohlad, associate professor of art history at DePaul University, will examine the image of Abraham Lincoln in photography, sculpture, and paintings - both old and new, during "Abraham Lincoln in American Art" at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10. Pohlad will look at photographs by Mathew Brady, sculptures by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and paintings by contemporary artists such as Ed Paschke. The program promises to be a lively multimedia mix of history, art, and Lincoln's biography.

• "Illinois Sculptor: Lorado Taft" will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. As a teacher and accomplished sculptor, Lorado Taft established an impressive legacy in the state of Illinois. In this slide lecture, art historian Jeff Mishur will examine a number of important Taft projects, including "The Fountain of Time," "The Fountain of the Great Lakes," "The Eternal Indian (Black Hawk)," and others. Mishur has presented a number of lectures at the library, many of them related to special exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago. The program is offered in conjunction with Batavia's Art in Your Eye Fine Arts Festival.